abstract thought, logical thinking, reasoning - thinking that is coherent and logical

partitioning, breakdown - an analysis into mutually exclusive categories

cost-benefit analysis - an analysis of the cost effectiveness of different alternatives in order to see whether the benefits outweigh the costs

dissection - a minute and critical analysis

reasoning by elimination, elimination - analysis of a problem into alternative possibilities followed by the systematic elimination of unacceptable alternatives

reductionism - the analysis of complex things into simpler constituents

systems analysis - analysis of all aspects of a project along with ways to collect information about the operation of its parts

trend analysis - analysis of changes over time